Canyon senior pitcher guides playoff run with young team chipping in.

Updated 9:58 am, Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Canyon's Sara Mireles (11) winds up for a pitch against New Braunfels in softball at Canyon High School on Tuesday, March 8, 2011. Canyon defeated New Braunfels, 6-4.

Canyon's Sara Mireles (11) winds up for a pitch against New Braunfels in softball at Canyon High School on Tuesday, March 8, 2011. Canyon defeated New Braunfels, 6-4.

Photo: Kin Man Hui/kmhui@express-news.net

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"Mission Accomplished!" Sara Mireles of New Braunfels Canyon is the girls Express-News All-Area Softball player of the Year. She poses for a picture at San Jose Mission. June 10, 2010. BILLY CALZADA / gcalzada@express-news.net missions, historic san antonio missions san jose

Canyon pitcher Sara Mireles screams after she gets the 3-1 win over Moody in game three to send the Cougarettes to the state tournament as Canyon beats Moody in 4A regional finals at Canyon High School on Saturday, May 29, 2010.

Canyon pitcher Sara Mireles screams after she gets the 3-1 win over Moody in game three to send the Cougarettes to the state tournament as Canyon beats Moody in 4A regional finals at Canyon High School on

NEW BRAUNFELS — At New Braunfels Canyon's practice Monday, Stephanie Peace slid back into her normal routine. She joked around with the team and couldn't help but give some constructive criticism when pitcher Sara Mireles began throwing long toss underhanded.

“Throw the ball, Sara,” Peace yelled. “Are you going to do that in college?”

It was as if Peace, who is home for the summer after finishing her freshman year at Wisconsin, never left.

“Peace was the most vocal leader on the team,” Canyon coach Kevin Randle said. “That aspect was tough to replace.”

But Mireles, along with senior first baseman Sarah Crockett, has filled in nicely to lead the Cougarettes to a somewhat surprising run to the Class 4A regional semifinals. They play Corpus Christi Tuloso-Midway in a three-game series beginning Thursday in Pleasanton.

“People didn't expect a lot out of us this year,” said Mireles, who signed with Texas A&M. “But I'm glad we're proving them wrong.”

The lowered expectations were a product of losing the core of the team that made back-to-back state tournament runs and won the Class 4A championship in 2009.

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Along with Peace, Canyon had to replace two other Division I players in Mandy Ogle (Texas) and Becca Wall (Mississippi), and three more seniors.

“Half the team's new,” Randle said. “The only person at the same position this year as last year is Sara.”

Mireles had been as close to a sure thing as possible in her career at Canyon. She came into this season with an 87-14 record and 746 strikeouts. She was a state champion as a sophomore and the Express-News Area Player of the Year as a junior.

This season has been a humbling experience. She is 22-8 with 169 strikeouts and a 1.42 ERA. Her previous season-high ERA was 0.97 in 2009.

She's been forced to deal with two big changes this season — the increase in pitching distance to 43 feet and a new defense behind her.

The Cougarettes stumbled to a 4-4 start but gradually began looking like Canyon teams of the past. Crockett thrived at the plate with a .402 average, seven home runs and 42 RBIs. Junior leadoff hitter Brittany Gomez is batting .493 with 20 stolen bases.

“I believe that Sara can shut down pretty much anyone in the state, that Sarah Crockett can hit anyone in the state, and Brittany can get on base against any pitcher we face,” Randle said.

And the younger players have begun to produce. Sophomore Andrea Robson has a .479 average and 36 RBIs, and freshman catcher Krystina Holguin has six home runs and 30 RBIs. Sophomore Kendra Mendoza is riding a 12-game hitting streak.

They've used Mireles and Crockett as role models, even if the two aren't vocal leaders such as Peace and Ogle.

“It's a little more difficult now that we're expected to lead,” said Crockett, who signed with Baylor. “We don't really yell at all. I try to calm people down rather than pump them up.”